1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to receptacles that supply flexible, separable liners for use in the receptacles, more specifically to a trash or garbage can which stores concatenated plastic bag liners below a false bottom of the can, the liners being fed through the false bottom into the can, in a system for rapid loading of the liners into storage, which accepts and feeds liners of various widths to the upper portion of the receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The art is replete with designs which temporarily store and deliver plastic bag liners to a trash container through a false bottom wall.
E. E. Heck, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,453, patented Jun. 24, 1969, discloses a horizontal wall spaced from the bottom wall of the container by a plurality of legs which rest on the bottom wall. A longitudinal slit in the horizontal wall is provided for passing the liners up in the container from below the horizontal wall. A pair of parallel, vertical walls, depending from the bottom of the horizontal wall, one on each side of the slot, parallel the slot. The parallel walls are spaced apart sufficiently to closely receive a roll of plastic bag liners or a box containing the roll.
At each end of this trough of parallel walls is a latch made by a curved member or by a pair of downward depending triangularly shaped walls with bottom lugs. The latches engage the bottom edges of the longitudinal ends of the roll or box in order to support the roll or box next to the horizontal wall between the time that the roll is loaded into the trough, and the time that the horizontal wall is set into the bottom of the container.
The latches are forcibly deflected back in order to load the roll into the trough. The latches predetermine the length of the roll or box.
In order to reload the trough with new bags or a box, the operator reaches into the container, inserts his or her fingers into the slot and withdraws the horizontal wall from the container. It is clear that a portion of the slot must be wide enough to accommodate the fingers, and the horizontal wall should be in balance or it could rotate about the slot during withdrawal and hurt the fingers.
The first bag from a new roll or box is fished through the slot from the bottom, and the roll or box is installed in the trough. The horizontal wall is then lowered into place on its legs, in the container. Holding the horizontal wall for lowering can be done by inserting one or more fingers in the slot, sharing the slot with the bag therein. The wall can be lowered by gripping the bag that is extending upward from the slot, but only if the weight of the wall and bags do not cause the bag to separate or pull additional bags through the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,363, patented Jan 17, 1989 by Roy L. Cortesi, discloses a waste basket with a recessed bottom which forms a cavity in the underside of the basket. The roll of plastic bags is mounted on a spring-loaded telescoping spindle which is journaled at each end in bosses in opposite side-walls of the cavity.
The bags pass up through a slot in the bottom of the basket. In order to install a roll of bags, the basket is inverted, the empty spindle is removed by compressing the spring, a new roll of bags is placed on the spindle, and it is replaced in the bosses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,505 patented Sep. 11, 1990 by Michael A. Battaglia discloses a trapezoidal, open bottom, base, having a slit in the top for passing bags from within the base through the top and into a basket mounted on or over the base.
The bags are stored on a spindle which is journaled at each end in sockets in opposite side walls of the base. The wider bottom ends of the base fit on a flat, weighted base to add stability to the assembly. A foot-operated brake comprising a pivoted board can be made to press against the roll when one wishes to pull on a bag to separate it from one below that is on the roll.
In order to replenish the spindle with bags, the base is separated from the basket and from the weighted base, and is inverted. The spindle is removed, loaded, and installed in the sockets by flexing the side walls of the base. Alternatively, the spindle may be a telescoping spring-loaded design. The trapezoidal base is then uprighted and attached to the weighted base and to the basket.
Chen et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,793, patented Jul. 16, 1991, discloses a hinged, false bottom, slotted wall, which rotates upward upon hinges attached to one inner wall of the basket. When the wall is rotated upward, it reveals a hollow base having three adjacent parallel troughs.
The center trough holds the roll of plastic bags. Another of the troughs holds deodorant, and the third trough holds a waste container for receiving waste water drippings from the litter in the basket on the chance that there is leakage past the bag.
The hinged wall has two slots, one positioned over the center trough for passing the bag up into the basket, and the other slot positioned over the waste water trough for directing drippings into that trough.
In order to restock the trough with plastic bags, the operator must work within the basket. Reaching into the basket, the operator rotates the hinged wall upward. Reaching further down into the basket, the operator inserts a new roll in the center trough and grips the waste water container, and being careful not to tilt it, draws it up and out of the waste basket and empties it. Reaching back into the container, the operator returns the waste water container to the trough, draws a first bag up from the roll and fishes or threads the first bag through the slot, and rotates the hinged wall down.